ARTM2210- Intro to Web Design FALL 2025 ____________________________________________________________________________ * MEETING TIME & INSTRUCTOR Wednesdays 9:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m., Wheatley 144 This is an on-ground, in-person class with mandatory attendance. Final Critique: Thursday, December 11, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Debra Vieira, M.S., Adjunct Faculty | vieira@rmu.edu | WHE 142 Office hours: Wednesdays, after class or by appointment (Zoom available upon request) Digital syllabus: rmu.debravieira.com ____________________________________________________________________________ * RMU COURSE DESCRIPTION This course explores the fundamentals of creating graphically-oriented Web sites. We will expand upon knowledge gained in Digital Imaging and Layout (ARTM2020) to understand image optimization. Through lectures, demonstrations, and studio problems, students will also learn the basic syntax of HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and explore the constraints and capabilities of various Internet browsers. * COURSE MATERIALS, SUPPLIES, TEXTBOOK Textbook: * Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 3rd Edition by Steve Krug Suggested readings: * The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman * HTML & CSS: Design and Build Web Sites by Jon Duckett (will post additional readings to blackboard) Required materials: * Sketchbook & drawing materials Thumb‑drive * Free Figma account * COURSE OBJECTIVES The students will 1 develop a website that includes multiple pages, hyperlinks, text, and images; 2 demonstrate introductory-level ability to use: design techniques, raster and vector image editing software, HTML, CSS;, and industry-standard web development applications; and 3 think critically about design aesthetics, site functionality, file management, and software integration techniques that solve design and production problems. GRAPHIC DESIGN PROGRAM OUTCOMES COURSE OUTCOMES Upon successful completion of this program, the graphic design graduates will be able to: 1 The student will be able to utilize design research skills of problem and audience identification, information gathering and analysis. 3 2 The student will be able to generate alternative creative solutions and evaluate possible solutions and contexts 3 3 The student will be able to create visual form in response to communication problems, utilizing principles of visual organization, image composition, sound design, symbolic representation, aesthetics and the construction of meaningful images. 1,2 4 The student will be able to correctly select and utilize tools and technology to create, reproduce and distribute visual messages. 2 5 The student will be able to organize design projects and to work productively as a member of teams. 1 UX/UI PROGRAM OUTCOMES COURSE OUTCOMES Upon successful completion of this program, the UX/UI graduates will be able to: 1 Understand dynamic business practices, write and enact flexible proposals, organize projects, work in and lead teams, collaborate with other disciplines, and develop fluid strategies to maintain currency in fast-moving fields; 1,2 2 Identify experience design problems, raise ethical considerations, and understand human behavior, user / stakeholder needs through research driven processes, journey maps and use-case scenarios; 1,3 3 Develop ideas and solutions through mind-mapping, sketching and wireframing; test ideas through analog and digital prototyping techniques; refine ideas by integrating useful feedback from user tests and stakeholders; 2,3 4 Clearly and persuasively present ideas and concepts, prototypes, completed projects, and start-to-finish processes using oral, written and visual communication skills; 3 5 Use a strategy of intelligent failure in order to learn resilience and critically evaluate work and the work of peers, as well as provide and accept constructive oral and written feedback in diverse settings. 3 * PROJECTS & GRADING Projects: 50% Homepage: 10% User Journey Analysis: 20% Final Exam: 10% Participation: 10% * ATTENDANCE Class attendance is crucial, as time is dedicated to required activities, discussions, clarifications of assignments and projects, reviews, and Q&A sessions. Missing class puts your understanding of course expectations and, ultimately, your grade at risk. You should make every effort to attend each scheduled session. Missing more than 25% of scheduled classes will result in a failing grade (F) for the course. For Media Arts courses that meet once a week (or adjusted for courses that meet twice a week): * Only two absences are permitted (illness, mental health day, vacation etc),. * A third absence will lead to a significant penalty to your final grade. * A FOURTH ABSENCE WILL RESULT IN FAILURE OF THE COURSE. * COURSE CALENDAR (subject to change) Part 1: Foundations in Structure & Design week 1: the modern web workflow week 2: file management & linking assets week 3: structuring content & modern layouts week 4: web typography & imagery week 5: studio time & ai lecture ________________ Part 2: Building Responsive & Interactive Experiences week 6: information architecture & ux principles week 7: responsive design & advanced layouts week 8: transitions, animations & interactivity week 9: studio time & debugging week 10: mid-term critique ________________ Part 3: Final Project & Professional Practices week 11: final project planning week 12: studio time / working critique week 13: web hosting & domains week 14: final studio day & exam FINAL PROJECT CRITIQUE & PRESENTATIONS week 15: final project critique ________________ * MEDIA ARTS GRADING SCALE A 93-100% A 90-92% A- Excellent work. Consistently high quality creative solutions that demonstrate the clear communication of ideas, both visually and verbally. All assignments handed in on time and complete. Students who receive a grade of ‘A’ must set an outstanding example of professionalism and demonstrate an excellent standard of work produced outside the class. B 87-89% B+ 83-86% B 80-82% B- Good work that is above average creatively, visually and technically. All assignments handed in on time and complete. Special attention will be given to work produced outside the class and accredited accordingly. A positive attitude and involvement in class. C 77-79% C+ 70-76% C Competent work that meets the basic criteria. Satisfactory, but with only the minimum work required. D 60-69% D Poor work that fails to meet the basic criteria, demonstrating a lack of assimilation of principles covered in class. Assignments missing and/or work completed late. F 0-59% F Failure to meet course requirements. Poor involvement in class projects or assignments. Lack of engagement with professor and missing work and attendance problems. ________________ * UNIVERSITY POLICIES ACADEMIC INTEGRITY Academic Integrity is one of this university's highest ethical values. All students are expected to understand and adhere to the standards of Academic Integrity as stated in the RMU Academic Integrity Policy, which can be found on the RMU website at www.rmu.edu/ai. Any student who violates the Academic Integrity Policy is subject to possible judicial proceedings that may result in sanctions, as indicated in the Policy. Depending on the severity of the violation, sanctions may range from receiving a zero on an assignment, to being dismissed from the university. If you have any questions about the Policy, please consult your course instructor. NOTE: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology for the completion of coursework is not allowed unless expressly permitted by the instructor for the course. Excerpt from Robert Morris University Academic Integrity Policy document (rev. Jan 6, 2025, Section B.6) - Violation of “Fair Use:” “Fair Use in copyright law is a doctrine that allows one to use brief excerpts of copyrighted materials for teaching or research without permission of or payment to the copyright holder. In particular, students featuring original works of others, including images, videos, etc., in their own works must ensure that they comply with the legal and artistic implications of such use. This includes knowledge of the concepts of licensing, copyright, fair use, and public domain.” Improper use of any such work or similar authored by other people is a violation of academic integrity as is the failure to comply with "fair-use" requirements. In many cases, written permission from the artist is required for use in a student's project. Students who feature the original artistic media works of others in their projects should ensure that they have complied with the legal and artistic implications of this use. This includes knowledge of the concepts of "licensing," "copyright," "fair use" and "public domain.” (See www.fairusenetwork.com) ACCESSIBILITY ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS Robert Morris University welcomes students with disabilities into all of the University’s educational programs. If you have, or think you may have, a disability that would impact your educational experience in this class, please contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) to schedule a meeting with the SAS Coordinator and Assistant Director Molly Hill. She will confidentially discuss your needs, review your documentation, and engage with you in the interactive process to determine your eligibility for reasonable accommodations. To learn more about academic accommodations, please visit http://rmu.edu/sas, email sas@rmu.edu, or call 412.397.6884. MASKING You may elect to wear face masks in the classroom. Please respect individual decisions about whether to mask. Any negative response to an individual who elects to wear a mask will be reported to Student Conduct. If you are feeling ill but well enough to attend class, we strongly encourage the use of a face mask until you are feeling well. IN AN EMERGENCY RMU Police emergency response telephone number is: 412-397-2424. From campus telephones dial only: 2424 RMU ALERT All students are urged to sign up for the RMU emergency alert notifications at www.rmu.edu/rmualert. Always check with RMU to see if classes are in session during inclement weather. ____________________________________________________________________________ * DEPARTMENTAL POLICIES MEDIA ARTS ACADEMIC INTEGRITY CODICIL Students who feature the original imagery of others in their artwork, should ensure that they are familiar with the legal and artistic implications of this appropriation. This would include knowledge of the concepts of “licensing”, “copyright”, “fair use”, and “public domain.” See: the syllabus information on copyright, and fairusenetwork.com. CLASS CRITIQUES AND EVALUATION OF STUDENT WORK Robert Morris University is a non-profit educational institution. Receiving and giving critiques on student work at the Media Arts Department at RMU is a required part of the evaluation of student work. COPYRIGHT TO STUDENT CLASSWORK Student work produced in classes is protected by U.S. Copyright Law. Each student owns the copyright to her/his original work the moment the “work is “fixed” in a tangible medium of expression…” 1 STUDENT USE OF COPYRIGHTED WORK IN CLASS ASSIGNMENTS If any part of the class work created is originally someone else’s creation: 1. the work must be in the public domain available for use without permission (generally work after 1922 is copyrighted); or 2. written consent from the copyright holder must be obtained to use the copyrighted work. That consent must detail the terms of the use, such as what exactly can be used, how much of it, in what format, if modifications are allowed, and how the work is to be credited. Also the duration of the consent must be listed and any possible terms set on how the work can be used geographically; or 3. if a course assignment states that it requires or allows the use of existing copyrighted work without consent, the assignment can only be displayed in this class. It cannot be used as part of a student portfolio, displayed publicly, or otherwise after the class has ended. The use has been one-time-only for learning purposes; 4. Education Exemption allows: Display of a copyrighted work, By an instructor or pupil, In a face-to-face teaching activity, In a classroom or similar place 17 U.S.C. § 110. EXCERPTS FROM U.S. COPYRIGHT LAW Copyright Law of the United States of America and Related Laws Contained in Title 17 of the United States Code. Circular 92, Chapter 1: Subject Matter and Scope of Copyright, http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html Information closely related to media arts: § 102 . Subject matter of copyright: In general § 106 . Exclusive rights in copyrighted works § 107 . Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use § 110 . Limitations on exclusive rights: Exemption of certain performances and displays DISPLAY OF THIS SEMESTER’S STUDENT CLASSWORK Classwork may be displayed on display boards, shelves, TV/computer monitors and/or other display surfaces in the Media Arts Department spaces in the Wheatley Center and/or the Academic Media Center as a part of required classwork in order to provide experience of exhibiting one’s media arts work; in such a case the display identifies the work’s author. DISPLAY OF STUDENT CLASSWORK OUTSIDE OF CLASS The Media Arts Department at times may display clearly credited student work (unless a student requests anonymity) at different University events on and off campus, and also in print or digital form, or online, as samples of Media Arts student work. Student work displayed outside class will only be displayed on a student’s written permission on the RMU Media Arts Student Copyright Permission Form. Course professors and/or the department will notify by email the students whose work is displayed or stored on reserve as samples of Media Arts student work. RMU MEDIA ARTS STUDENT COPYRIGHT PERMISSION FORM For your work to be displayed outside the class in which it was produced, you are required to give your written permission to do so. Media Arts course professors and the department have copies of the RMU Media Arts Student Copyright Permission Form available for that purpose. In order for your work to be available for outside class displays, please fill out and turn in a signed RMU Media Arts Student Copyright Permission Form to your course professor who will also sign the form and then turn it in to the department for it to be filed. If you are under 18 years of age, your guardian must sign the form. Each student participating in the semester’s Senior Exhibition is required to fill out, sign and turn in a RMU Media Arts Student Copyright Permission Form to their course professor as exhibiting one’s portfolio publicly in the show is a course requirement. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY TO PICK UP UNCLAIMED CLASSWORK It is the student’s responsibility to pick up her/his unclaimed class work from the course professor after the course has ended. The Media Arts Department will store unclaimed student work until the end of the next 15-week semester that follows the semester in which the work was created: work produced in Fall Semester is stored until the end of Spring Semester; Spring and Summer Semester work is stored until the end of Fall Semester. Only if a student work has been selected by a course professor or department, on the student’s written permission, to be placed on reserve as sample Media Arts student work, will student work be stored for a longer period of time. If a student receives an Incomplete for a course, the timeline described above will start after the final course grade has been submitted.